Cabin Fever
by YosugaT
Summary: What happens when a highly anticipated field trip to visit Durmstrang turns into a struggle for escape? Harry is stuck in the Black Forest of Germany with an oblivious jock, jealousy incarnate, an arrogant aristocrat, an obnoxious brat, and a mystery that comes with a set of piercing cobalt eyes. Will they make it out of the forest with their lives, or will they never return? HP/DG
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

The mood in the Great Hall was animated and full of anticipation for the coming year at Hogwarts. The sorting had just been completed, and the new members of each house were overwhelmed by the numerous introductions from their upperclassmen; of course, except for Slytherin, who welcomed their new additions with little more than a calculating gaze and an upturned nose.

Harry Potter was enjoying his first full meal since he left Hogwarts at the end of the last school year; his relatives had been particularly harsh for some reason that summer, which certainly didn't help him to cope with Cedric Diggory's death.

As he was directing a heaping spoonful of scalloped potatoes towards his mouth, he noticed that Ginny Weasley was giving him fleeting glances and sultry smirks yet again. To his trepidation, the Boy Who Lived also noticed that the fiery redhead's boyfriend, Dean Thomas, was completely ignorant of his girlfriend's lingering interest in Harry.

'I wonder why she still has a crush on me. Perhaps Dean is just someone to pass the time with,' Harry thought.

Across the table from him, his best friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley were engaged in a heated conversation about Quidditch, or rather, Ron was excitedly rambling about the Chudley Cannons' chances of winning the next World Cup while Hermione was patiently "listening" to him while both re-reading a copy of "Hogwarts: A History" and subtly moving her head to avoid the spittle flying from Ron's mouth.

As the feast came to an end and the dessert disappeared from the large oaken tables, Dumbledore stood up in his lurid neon green and purple robes and approached the podium to dismiss the students to their rooms.

"Before I let you go to your common rooms, I have one announcement to make. The 5th year students will be taking a two month trip to visit the Durmstrang Institute in Germany to study their methods of learning and to gain experience from the professors at that establishment."

A collective groan came from the 6th and 7th years at this piece of news. Dumbledore chuckled at their blatant disappointment.

"Do not worry; those of you in their NEWT years will have a chance to visit Beauxbatons during the winter break, if you so choose. The lower 4 years will be able to take a weeklong trip to visit the Salem School of Magic in the United States of America in the spring."

Dumbledore swept his bespectacled gaze across the robed students who were buzzing with anticipation. Many students were fervently whispering to their neighbors, while others were simply bouncing up and down with excitement, unable to contain their happiness. The wizened wizard raised his hands for silence, and after a moment, he continued.

"Tomorrow at breakfast, a slip of parchment will be given to every 5th year along with their schedules to notify them of their group assignments. Although the entire grade level will be traveling together, most activities and the lodging will be sorted using these groups. Furthermore, the groups will be comprised of three people from two different houses to promote interhouse relationships. Further details will be explained once we arrive in Germany. That is all for tonight. Prefects, please show your housemates to their rooms."

With that, all of the prefects scrambled to herd the students towards their common rooms. While traversing the shifting staircases, an amused Harry turned from his observation of the awestruck first years by a tap on his shoulder. He turned to find a flushed and animated Ron and an even more eager looking Hermione behind him.

"Bloody hell, Harry! I can't believe that we get to go visit Durmstrang, and even meet Viktor Krum again," Ron gushed, completely forgetting how jealous he was of Viktor for being Hermione's date to the Yule Ball the previous year.

"Language, Ronald!" Hermione reprimanded, but her heart wasn't really in it, as she, too, was shining with excitement at the prospect of getting to learn and experience unique magic and methods of teaching at the German school.

"Bah, come off it, Hermione. This is going to be amazing!" Ron returned. "As long as I don't get grouped together with someone like Malfoy, this ought to be the best trip ever!"

Harry wholeheartedly agreed with his best friends, and was about to reply when Ginny and Dean brushed past him, Ginny quite literally, as she flirtatiously but quickly stroked the inside of his thigh with the hand that wasn't holding her boyfriends' as she passed by. She surreptitiously sent him a saucy wink and sauntered away with a noticeable sway in her hips, causing many a first year boy to gawk at her shapely rear.

'No one else seemed to notice,' Harry mused as he glanced at his still giddy mates.

With resigned shake of his head, he continued into the common room behind his peers after greeting the Fat Lady.

Strafing through the throng of relaxed students lounging on and around the plush sofas and armchairs, Harry made his way upstairs to his bed. After taking care of his nightly routine, the emerald eyed mage began the process of tucking himself into his bed when he heard his roommates begin chattering about the upcoming international adventure.

"I've never been to Germany before, but I've heard that the girls are ridiculously sexy," Seamus Finnegan, the brash and boisterous Irishman stated.

Ron shot Seamus a knowing look and proclaimed with a smirk, "I bet I could probably snag a girl or two while we're over there. There can't be a bird who wouldn't be impressed with my extensive knowledge of Quidditch and its one true icon, the Chudley Ca-,"

"Ugh, enough about the Cannons, Ron! You and I both know that they're absolute rubbish! They haven't won a single game in 80 years," Dean said with disgust. "What's cooler is the chance to see how they incorporate futbol physical conditioning into Quidditch training."

"I think it would be interesting to see the different types of native plants they have," Neville said quietly, with a small smile on his pudgy face.

This began a heated argument between the boys (mainly Dean, Seamus, and Ron) about what to look forward to the most. Harry cast Neville a rueful glance and drew the curtains closed around his four poster bed, activating the built in silencing charms. The raven haired teen closed his eyes and drifted off with dreams of exploring a whole new realm of magic.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The next morning found Harry in the Great Hall happily munching on a slice of buttered toast heavily layered with baked beans. He swept his gaze across the chattering children, biding his time by people watching until the owls came to deliver the morning  
post. He saw that every one of his year mates was present in the cavernous room, all of them eager to find out who their group members would be on the upcoming trip.

The young mage took another huge bite of his toast, only to nearly choke on it as Ginny and Dean passed behind him to head to their normal seats; the fiery redhead grazed her fingertips casually along Harry's spine. Bewildered, Harry glanced to his side  
to track the ambling girl with his curious stare. Ginny simply flashed a tiny, victorious smirk and sat down next to her boyfriend with a satisfied countenance.

With a resigned sigh, Harry turned back to his breakfast, but before he could continue dining, he was interrupted by the distinctive sound of fluttering wings. The source of the cacophony descended into the Great Hall to deliver mail and copies of the  
Daily Prophet to the students and faculty.

Among the owls, Harry's snowy companion, Hedwig, was easily distinguished from the curtain of brown and grey that peppered the air above the tables. She swooped down with an ethereal grace to land on Harry's shoulder to give him an affectionate nip on  
his ear. Amused, the messy haired teen pet and stroked his owl's pristine plumage with one hand as he reached for his own copy of the Daily Prophet with his other.

"You're quite the show off, aren't you, Hedwig?" Harry chuckled quietly to his feathered companion.

Hedwig simply gave Harry a look that stated, "Well, who could blame me?" and gave a soft trill.

Smiling at his partner's confidence, he gave Hedwig a rasher of bacon and let her fly back to the owlery to await the next delivery.

Turning to the newspaper, Harry immediately noticed the glaring headline.

"Huge Storm Forming Over French-German Border"

 _A large thunderstorm of the likes that has never been recorded previously has formed over the French-German border. The storm stretches from Metz, France to Stuttgart, Germany. 12 magical and over 50 muggle lives have already been claimed. The cause of this thunderstorm is thought to be magical in nature, as the conditions for this sort of weather systeym was not present at the time of the storm's formation. More details on the storm on pg. 5._

Harry wondered if this storm would pose a large enough threat to the Hogwarts contingent's trip to warrant cancellation, since the route that they would be taking would be to go south to London, then south east to Paris, and then finally east to Donaueschingen,  
Germany to which they would find Durmstrang on the southern outskirts. The storm system might cause some trouble to the traveling students and staff if they weren't careful.

A sharp, squeaky, but authoritative voice broke Harry out of his ponderings. He swiveled in his seat to face the staff table where Professor Flitwick stood trying to garner the attention of the students over the excited buzz that permeated the air.

"Ahem. AHEM," the diminutive professor cleared his throat with a Sonorus charm cast on the second one to great effect. The half-goblin grinned widely and said, "Good morning, students. I hope that each of you has had a good night's sleep, for today you  
will travel to Durmstrang." A cheer broke out among the 5th years. "The trip will be made in the Hogwarts Express, which has been modified over the summer to travel through the air. We realize that there is a major storm in the path of our travel,  
but do not fear, for the train has been warded against the elements and should have no trouble passing through unharmed."

"Inside of the train cars, each group will have their own common room with connected bedrooms. These bedrooms are equipped with an en-suite and the doors to enter the bedrooms are charmed against allowing boys into the girls'." At this, he gave the students  
a stern glare, but his eyes sparkled with amusement behind his spectacles. "The entire journey will take 15 hours, so please feel free to take that time to get to know your group."

"The groups have been chosen randomly, and will consist of 5 members from 2 houses; 2 from 1 house, and 3 from another. You will receive a slip of parchment that will tell you the names of your group members, the train car "common room" to which your  
group is assigned, and the number of your private bedroom. Please report to that common room by 2 pm sharp so that we may depart for Durmstrang by 3 pm. Your luggage will be handled by house elves and will be sent to your respective bedrooms. That  
is all."

With that, the tiny professor hopped down from his stool and strolled away to pack his belongings. On his way out, he waved his wand, and sheets of parchment appeared out of thin air to land in front of each 5th year.

Harry glanced down at the parchment and was shocked at what he saw, to say the least.

Group Assignment for

Mr. Harry Potter

Other members:

Dean Thomas

Theodore Nott

Tracey Davis

Daphne Greengrass

Common Room:

Room 3A

Bedroom:

Room 5

Three out of the five members of his group were Slytherins! While Harry didn't hold the amount of animosity he used to towards the House of Salazar, he was still very wary of them, a caution that has served him well in the past. The raven haired youth  
was open to the possibility of working with the snakes, but thought it unlikely that they would hold the same willingness to cooperate.

In the background, Harry could hear the high pitched squeak of his best mate's voice ring out.

"Bloody hell, I got groupedwith Malfoy?"

Ron's already pasty demeanor took on an even paler visage, and he promptly fainted into his plate of eggs, splattering them around a 3 foot radius to the obvious disgust of his fellow Gryffindors.

Harry found himself rushing furiously to pack all of his belongings and make it to the bus. It was 1:45 pm, and the young wizard had been daydreaming about the possibilities of learning Defense Against the Dark Arts from the experts and practitioners  
at Durmstrang. Surely, at a school where the Dark Arts were taught as a part of the curriculum, Harry could gain some experience in learning how to defend himself against Voldemort the next time he came after the green eyed mage. Shaking away the  
encroaching thoughts, he stuffed his invisibility cloak underneath his socks and closed his trunk.

Leaving his belongings for the elves to transport to his quarters on the train, Harry bolted down the stairs and made it to the Entrance Hall in record time. He was just in time to make it to one of the last carriages to take him to the train station.

As he boarded the carriage, Harry noticed that there was only one other occupant inside the small space with him. The person in question was a blonde with breathtaking features; she had high, perfectly angled cheekbones that screamed elegance and noble  
heritage, soft and pouty lips that glistened with a shade of pink that sent Harry's own cheeks aflame to match the shade, a nose that tapered in all the right ways to make her face exude femininity. Her straight, silky blonde locks framed her face  
and enhanced her flawless porcelain skin. Underneath the horrendously bulky and unflattering robes, the emerald eyed wizard could see clearly defined curves that would make any man drool. However, the real masterpiece that took Harry's breath away  
were her eyes, two cobalt gems that sat under gently drooping eyelids.

So enraptured by the beauty in front of him, Harry failed to notice when the carriage lurched to a stop next to the train station. However, this motion was not lost on the other occupant of the space, and she woke up from her light slumber with a jolt.  
Her crystalline eyes darted around the carriage to take in her surroundings, and they quickly settled on Harry, taking in his gawking appearance. She narrowed her piercing azure eyes, clearly writing him off as just another brainless admirer that  
was after her looks. She gave a disdainful sniff, and left the carriage to head for the train.

This action finally brought Harry back to reality, his dark, messy locks wildly swinging as he shook himself out of his stupor. He realized that he had already arrived at the train station, and hurriedly jumped down from the doorway and ran towards the  
train. He managed to board the gleaming red steam engine just as the whistle blew for the final call.

A part of him wanted to search for the gorgeous blonde on the train, but he quickly realized that doing so would most likely be very awkward for the both of them. 'As if someone as perfect as her would even give me the time of day,' Harry thought glumly.

Harry began to make his way towards the middle train car where his common room was listed. Along the way, he shuffled past some strange sights. He caught a glimpse of a giggling Lisa Turpin dragging a furiously blushing Terry Boot by his sleeve into a  
utility closet. The curious teen also witnessed Parvati Patil seemingly snogging the stuffing out of Anthony Goldstein, who didn't seem to mind if his wandering hands were any indicator. Not wanting to get caught in the potentially mortifying position  
of gawking at them, Harry pressed on towards the next car where he found his common room to his right.

Opening the door with some trepidation, he entered in to witness a scene that was almost exactly what he had expected. In the center of the room in front of a cheerily lit fireplace were two couches and an armchair arranged in a "U" shape, with the armchair  
in the center. A small, but tasteful spruce coffee table marked the center of the room, and it was laden with a kettle, tea cups, a sugar bowl, and various copies of Wizarding newspapers and tabloids.

One of the couches was occupied by two individuals whose glares directed at the couch across from them were uncannily identical. Theodore Nott, or Theo, as he was called by his close acquaintances, was a sallow faced, scrawny young Pureblood whose fierce  
expression and beady, intelligent eyes belied his frail physical appearance. He possessed a hawk-like nose, slightly sunken eyes, and shoulder length chestnut hair that fell in gentle waves.

To his left sat the other glaring Slytherin, Tracey Davis. From what Harry remembered, Tracey had been Theo's girlfriend since their 2nd year. Tracey was another Pureblood, raised by her widower of a father to be prim and proper as well as cunning. However,  
if the rumors proved to be true, the second half of her upbringing didn't pan out as well as her father had hoped, as Tracey turned out to be rather ditzy and self-absorbed. Her wealth and good looks, dark brown, chocolatey locks that ran down to  
her lower back, a slim, toned body that spoke of much care and attention, and dark brown eyes that one could find themselves lost in for hours, left little doubt as to why Theo had clung onto her even after she repeatedly slept with other older, more  
wealthy Slytherins.

The object of their glares was clear; their eyes were boring holes into the petite redhead curled around the muscular, lanky black teen lounging on the opposite couch. It seemed that Ginny had somehow managed to sneak herself aboard the Hogwarts Express.

A/N: A lengthier chapter this time. If you're worried about the slow pacing of the story so far, just wait a chapter or two. I promise it will pick up soon. I'm considering uploading an uncensored version on another website since I plan on adding smut  
scenes later on in the story. Of course, I would only add them if they actually did something to enhance or further the story, so don't worry about them being "skipworthy" material.

As for scheduling, I feel like I will try and keep a semi-weekly to monthly upload schedule, publishing new chapters every 3 weeks or so. However, I have no qualms about delaying a chapter if I get writer's block or become too busy to complete the chapter.  
This story WILL eventually be completed, so don't worry about it being abandoned, either.

Reviews with constructive criticism would be much appreciated, however, do not expect me to always follow it, as I do have the general outline of the plot already lined up, and it will not be changed.

Until next time,

YosugaT


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